Beattystown History

The ridges and valleys of the Township of Mansfield stretch out along the scenic Musconetcong River in bucolic Warren County. Founded in 1754 and now encompassing 30.5 square miles, Mansfield is the oldest and third largest municipality in the county. Historic Beattystown was settled as early as the 1750s and was originally known as Beatty’s Mill, named after the first mill owner.  It is now an unincorporated community located within Mansfield Township.  The Beattystown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 28, 1990, for its significance in architecture, commerce, industry and settlement pattern. Passing through this quaint Historic District, the large, beautifully-restored Grist Mill, now a private residence, is the center of your view shed and is also your Photo of the Week!  Enjoy the following link!!

Link to real estate interior photos of the Beattystown Mill – https://millpictures.com/mills.php?millid=495

Story behind our Photo of the Week

Beginning of July, I received an email from Brandee Chapman, NJ DEP, State Trails Coordinator of the Green Acres Program advising she had been recently appointed to the NJ DOT Scenic Byways Committee and they are looking for some photos of the Warren Heritage Scenic Byway.  THIS IS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!!  I am a member of the NJ DOT Warren Heritage Scenic Byway Committee and have worked with most of their members on various other projects through various organizations!! So I started to review my photo albums and make a collection that identifies the various sites I had on file!  Decided to initiate a photo tour of the Byway and include those photos for Brandee. 

(NOTE:  The Warren Heritage Scenic Byway Committee is in the application process of extending the Byway with the goal of ultimately having Waterloo Village as the northeast terminus and the Delaware River in Phillipsburg as the southwest terminus!)

Two Questions

Question #1: What is the Warren Heritage Scenic Byway??

Answer: It is a large section of Route 57 going through Hackettstown and ending at Greenwich Township.

Question #2:  What is the connection between the Photo of the Week, Beattystown Historic District, and Warren Heritage Scenic Byway!!?? 

Answer: Beattystown is part of the Byway!!!  Beattystown was actually where I began my new project of photographing the Byway!! Thus, the Photo of the Week.

Link to Warren Heritage Scenic Byway – https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/scenic/route57.shtm

Link to Warren Heritage Scenic Byway Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WarrenHeritageScenicByway/ 

Link to a list of NJ Scenic Byways – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Jersey_Scenic_Byways#Upper_Freehold_Historic_Farmland_Byway

Interesting Facts Concerning Beattystown

• Stewart Martin was a tavern keeper here at the time of the Revolutionary War and fed some of the captured soldiers of General Burgoyne’s army, who were on their way from Saratoga to the south.

• The turnpike running through Beattystown was built in 1812 and on it 300 men, drafted for the War of 1812, were led by Capt. Jacob Henry after being fed at the public house then kept by Benjamin Leek.

• A macadamized road (future Rt 57) was completed in 1911 going East to West from Hackettstown through Beattystown to Washington.

• Ziba Osmun, Sr., built the first distillery in Mansfield at Beattystown – only pure applejack.  A grain distillery was operated before 1825 by Elisha and Edward Bird.

• Beattystown Presbyterian Church was built in 1893 with a large manse added in 1910.

• The Shields’ hematite mines near Beattystown had produced some very valuable ore.  They were built in 1870 by Thomas Shields, J. C. Miller and John Fisher.

Link to another site of interest:  https://www.musconetcong.org/wild-scenic-designation

In Conclusion

We certainly live in a beautiful area that truly celebrates our Natural, Historical & Cultural Heritage!!  Scenic Byways and, being specific, the Warren Heritage Scenic Byway is an important resource for informing the public and then showcasing all the various important sites within the Byway!!  These Byways are a lot of hard work to create, maintain and sustain, involving many diverse groups and organizations!!  The efforts are extremely important as a tool in obtaining grants and funding to protect, maintain and make available to the public ALL our wonderful sites!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Director Open Space
Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission – Chairman
Allamuchy Historical Society – President